Nottingham Forest take 1-0 lead over Aston Villa after Liam Delap’s debut goal

Liam Delap picked a fine moment to introduce himself to the Nottingham Forest faithful. The 23-year-old striker, barely 60 seconds into the second half at Villa Park, found the net in the 46th minute to hand Forest a 1-0 lead over Aston Villa in their Matchweek 4 Premier League clash on September 12, 2026. Delap delivers on debut Forest shelled out £45 million to prise Delap from Ipswich Town this summer. That figure represents the most the club has ever paid for a single player, a statement of intent from a side that struggled to consistently find the back of the net last season. Delap’s goal was his first in a Forest shirt, arriving on his competitive debut. The timing was almost comically efficient: 45 minutes of goalless, cagey football, then one minute of the second half was all it took for the investment to start paying dividends. The first half had been a largely frustrating affair for both sets of supporters. Aston Villa enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the opening 45 minutes but ultimately failed to create clear-cut chances. Villa’s possession problem When Villa did manage to fashion opportunities, goalkeeper Matz Sels was equal to the task. The Belgian shot-stopp...